SAS believe this information is nothing more than what should be the minimum industry standard. It is estimated that over 2 billion sanitary items, such as condoms, tampons and wipes are flushed down the toilet every year in the UK; these products end up on the UK’s precious coastline as Sewage Related Debris (SRD). Our toilets are NOT ‘wet’ bins. Not only is SRD unsightly it has been shown to carry harmful bacteria and viruses to our beaches and bathing waters and to cause blockages at sewage treatment plants, resulting in sewage spills. Producers of sanitary items have a responsibility, along with their consumers to minimise the impact that their products have upon the environment, at the very least their products should provide basic disposal information.

Sustainable Achievable Solutions is a cornerstone of all SAS campaigns; therefore our first action in July of this year since then we have made every attempt to engage with the companies we identified, that did not have the minimum disposal information on their products. We tried to contact them by phone, email and post asking them to commit, by World Toilet Day, to incorporating appropriate disposal information onto all sanitary products in their next packaging run. Responses to this request were mixed to say the least, the 9 companies listed below and the potential impacts of their inaction fell easily into three categories; The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

The Good
SAS always celebrate the good, as a direct result of our ‘Think Before You Flush Campaign’ the following companies have committed to ensuring that their packaging carried appropriate disposal information and in some cases have already incorporated it, enabling their consumers to make an informed decisions and helping to protect our precious coastline.

Pasante Femidoms

Thirst Pockets Kitchen Towels

The Bad
SAS believe that ‘Think Before You Flush’ information is nothing short of the minimum industry standard. Therefore we have been extremely disappointed with the responses we have received from some producers of sanitary products, some of whom have more than one product without the bare minimum disposal information, what’s more some companies have refused even to reply to SAS despite multiple attempts to make contact since July of this year, those companies are listed within the “The Bad” table below.

Lil-Lets Tampons (“The used Tampon can be flushed away” on packaging)

Boots Feminine wipes (“Simply Flush away” on packaging)

Superdrug cotton wool pads and face wipes (No response)

Sainsburys Dental Floss

Beiresdorf/Nivea Facewipes

Don't shit on the beach

SAS welcome support from Keep Britain Tidy and Richard McIlwain from Keep Britain Tidy said: “Research carried out by Keep Britain Tidy shows that people give little or no thought to what happens once they have flushed items down the toilet, until they are made aware of the environmental impact of their actions. People want to do something positive to help improve the environment and educating people about responsible disposal is vital. The manufacturers have a key role to play in educating their customers and we would urge them all to join the ‘Think Before You Flush’ campaign to help clean up our coastline. Litter is everyone’s responsibility and disposing of it correctly is vital if we want to ensure our island’s coastline does not find itself drowning in rubbish.”

SAS Campaigns Officer Dom Ferris says: ‘Here at SAS we are sadly only too aware of the threat that marine litter, in particular SRD poses to the UK’s precious coastline. Whilst it’s great news that 4 companies have come on board with the ‘Think Before You Flush’ Campaign, we are both saddened and angered by the apathy of the other 5 companies, especially when you consider how straightforward it would be for them to put this basic information onto their products. More worrying still is that some companies such as Boots and Lil-lets are actively encouraging their consumers to “Simply flush away after use” (Boots Feminine Wipes). They should be ashamed!’

Cotton buds were notable in their absence from the list, although we are still finding unacceptable amounts on the UK’s beaches. However there are signs that their prevalence is decreasing; this is due in part to a successful SAS ‘Think Before You Flush Campaign’ in 2008. Six major high street retailers (Waitrose, Co-op, Asda, Tesco, Marks and Spencer and the Body Shop) agreed to incorporate appropriate disposal information on their cotton bud packaging after months of pressure from SAS, the precedent has been set.

For more information please contact Dom Ferris or call SAS HQ on 01872 553 001. Visit sas.org.uk for more information on ‘Think Before You Flush’.

Today SAS will brief Defra Minister Richard Benyon MP on their pioneering Sewage Alert Service. This service has delivered the public with unprecedented insight into how frequently raw sewage is discharged into the sea. Since May 2011 SAS has sent out 64,000 free real time sewage warnings. The high number of sewage discharges is a major threat to water users’ health and to the UK’s chances of reaching the stricter bathing water standards from 2015. Sewage discharges and related health impacts can easily slip through the current water quality testing programme.

It's a shit job, but luckily someone is monitoring it.

SAS’s Sewage Alert Service is a free real time system that informs people when sewage has been discharged via a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) the sea. SAS post the information on their map at www.sas.org.uk and also send out free text alerts. This summer SAS was able to share this real time information at 47 beaches, the majority of them being Blue Flag Beaches. But the considerable number of discharges was worrying.

SAS’s Sewage Alert Service gives beach users vital water quality information when they need it most – when sewage is in the sea and water quality can be compromised. Unlike the UK water quality testing programme which is retrospective. SAS are working with South West Water, Welsh Water, Wessex Water, Yorkshire Water, Southern Water and Northumbrian Water and receiving technical advice from the Environment Agency and Defra. SAS will dramatically upscale the beaches in the Sewage Alert Service for 2012 and beyond.

Unfortunately, 97.8% of England and Wales’ beaches meeting an outdated and inadequate standard is nothing to shout about. Defra figures show that bathing at a beach with a mandatory standard could give you 1 in 7 chance of contracting Gastro Enteritis. The higher guideline standard can still offer you a 1 in 20 chance of contracting Gastro Enteritis (achieved at 88.2% of beaches at England and Wales).

In 2006 SAS helped secure tougher new bathing water standards that will offer better protection to water users. These standards in the revised Bathing Water Directive will come into force in 2015 and include 4 years of continuous bathing seasons data.

SAS Campaign Director says: “Raw sewage can pose a significant health risk and our Sewage Alert Service is a step forward for beach users, providing the only real time warnings of sewage pollution at UK bathing waters. This is the only way beach users can actually avoid coming into contact with sewage spills from combined sewer overflows. We are hoping for continued support from Defra Minster Richard Benyon, the EA and the water companies to make the Sewage Alert Service even better in 2012.”

SAS are also promoting their Think Before You Flush campaign to encourage the public to stop using the toilet as a wet bin as this can result in sewer blockages and sewage discharges. And SAS are impressed with EA pilot projects tackling diffuse pollution, another impact on water quality.

Today the Planning Inspectorate could have been deciding the future of the waves at Challaborough. However, SAS contested the proposal to dump rock armoury on Challaborough beach, mobilised the local surfing community and ensured their concerns over this inappropriate coastal defence scheme were heard just in time.

Over a thousand local surfers, waveriders and beach users signed SAS’s Protect Our Waves (POW) petition to the Planning Inspectorate opposing the dumping of rock armoury on the beach as this could impact on the quality of waves at Challaborough. This resounding response sent a clear message to all involved, damaging the important surfing waves at Challaborough was not an option.

The developers suggested the proposal was needed to protect 2 cliff top holiday properties. Their initial application was declined by the local authority, so the developers submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. However, independent shore line assessments predicted little or no cliff erosion over the next 100 years. The POW campaign promoted the social and economic importance of the waves at Challaborough and submitted official comments alongside their 1,098 E petitions sent to the Planning Inspectorate. Today SAS campaigners intended to be at the Planning Inspectorate’s hearing, but instead SAS campaigners and the Challaborough surfing community can celebrate a great POW campaign victory!

The developers have withdrawn their appeal to the Planning Inspectorate and the waves at Challaborough have been protected from this development.

SAS Campaign Director Andy Cummins says: “This is a great POW victory for Challaborough and reinforces the importance of waves to the entire community, both economically and socially. Without a passionate surfing community who were willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with SAS this great wave could have been lost.”

Everyone is welcome to the North Devon Beach Clean Series and the SAS team looks forward to seeing SAS members, supporters, environmentalists, families, local surfing and watersports clubs joining them – the whole local beach-loving community in fact!

North Devon Beach Clean Series

· Woolacombe – 12th November 11am – 1pm
· Saunton Sands – 13th November 11am – 1pm
· Westward Ho! – 26th November 11am – 1pm
· Woody Bay – 27th November – 10am – Midday
· Lynmouth – 27th November – 2pm – 4pm
As many SAS supporters and local residents will already be aware, the amount of marine litter found on UK beaches has almost doubled in the last fifteen years, with at least 1 piece being found on average for every 30cm of sand. Since 1994, plastic items washing up on our shores have increased by 135%. Plastic debris can take hundreds of years to break down and can be lethal to marine wildlife. The power is in our hands to make a difference and we hope to see hundreds of volunteers making a positive difference to the North Devon coast this November.

“Its amazing to see a real concentrated beach clean campaign right here in North Devon. We have some of the country’s best surf spots situated on one of the most beautiful stretches of coastlines in the world, and this will be a great opportunity to pull together and make a positive impact on the ever growing marine litter problem.” Mikey Corker, SAS North Devon Rep

SAS will be joined by local SAS Rep Mikey Corker who will be helping lead the SAS assault on unwanted beach litter. SAS will also be joined by friends from the Museum of British Surfing, which is based at the heart of the North Devon surfing community in Braunton.

Volunteers who would like take part in one or more of the events should contact Dom Ferris, SAS Campaign Officer on dom@sas.org.uk or call 01872 555 953

The conference will bring together leading campaigners, scientists, oceanographers, international experts in wave physics, coastal morphology, wave-energy generation, coastal law and economics, plus a number of people with direct experience of over-interference with coastal ocean waves, coastal planners and coastal engineers to share ideas, discuss legislation and compare the best ways of protecting global surf spots.

The conference will explore the following questions.

* What is the value of waves to surfers and the wider community?
* What are the threats on the waves and coastlines?
* What strategies can be implemented to protect them?

The conference will be held on October 24th and 25th in Biarritz, France and in San Sebastian, Spain. For more information, please visit the conference website, where you will be able to follow the conference live: globalwaveconference.com

SAS Director Hugo Tagholm says: “I am delighted that Surfers Against Sewage represents such significant voice on the front line of international wave protection. The Global Wave Conference will help promote worldwide recognition and understanding of the importance of protecting waves, not just for surfers but for the whole community; economically, socially, culturally and environmentally. Waves are a hugely positive symbol and weapon in SAS’s on-going campaigns to protect oceans and beaches, surfers and coastal users right across the UK.”

SAS officially launched its Protect Our Waves (POW) campaign back in 2009, however SAS has been raising public awareness about the threats to UK waves and surf spots since its very inception in 1990. Today SAS has active campaigns covering the cross-section of wave protection issues, from onshore and offshore development, to direct pollution threats, to lobbying for improved access to renowned surf spots. The official launch of the POW campaign saw over 350 local surfers paddle out at Kimmeridge Bay to call for better access to the fabled south coast wave, Broad Bench.

SAS is currently producing scoping reports for 11 offshore developments proposed for the Pentland Firth, home to classic Scottish waves, Thurso and Brimms Ness. SAS believes that it’s vital that the surfing community’s concerns are recognised during any developments EIA ( environmental impact assessment) processes so our surfing heritage is not unwittingly or deliberately damaged during the ‘blue gold rush’. SAS has also recently had local actions to protect Challaborough from potential damage from onshore sea defences, advised on proposed surfing restrictions at Cromer in Norfolk and been involved in calling for classic south coast surf spot Freshwater Bay in the Isle of Wight to be protected from a new harbour development.

Freshwater is a great wave and SAS are calling on all surfers and waveriders for an urgent show of support at a public meeting at 7pm on Sunday the 25th of September at the Sandpiper Hotel (IoW).

The proposal identifies surfers as the only group the development will impact but then tries to play down the impact by implying the concerns of surfers are unimportant as they only “use the wave occasionally”.

This great wave has been surfed consistently since the 70s and by some of the UK’s best surfers. Current British Champ and IoW local Johnny Fryer says: “Freshwater Bay is a great wave and helped me develop my surfing skills. It vital that surfers stand shoulder to shoulder to protect Freshwater for the entire IoW surfing community. We’ve already lost Niton, another good pointbreak to development. Losing Freshwater would leave a massive hole in the local surfing community.”

This is a great opportunity for the surfing community to take a strong stance and ensure any potential developers are well aware of the importance of this wave. Attend the public meeting at 7pm on Sunday the 25th of September at the Sandpiper Hotel.

This summer saw over a thousand volunteers take part in Surfers Against Sewage’s (SAS) annual Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue Project, leaving beaches all around the UK cleaner and safer. The response to SAS’s Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue Project was truly staggering as SAS members, surfing communities and the wider public came together for beach cleans across the country to tackle the growing tide of trash. The litter collected, over 2.5 tonnes, is the equivalent of 5000 empty plastic bottles – which would create a pile nearly 12 times the height of Blackpool Tower.

The amount of marine litter found on UK beaches has doubled in the last 15 years. In a recent survey, 63.5% of litter found on UK beaches was made of plastic, which can take hundreds of years to break down and can be lethal to marine wildlife. With 80% of this debris arriving from land-based sources, including the general public, the power is in our hands to make a positive difference to stop the growing problem of marine litter. Beach cleans are a great way to remove marine litter, inspire community action and ensure the beach is a clean and safe place for all to enjoy.

SAS’s Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue Project visited 14 locations around the country between May and September, including Portrush in Northern Ireland, The River Thames in London, Porthtowan in Cornwall, Bellhaven in Scotland, Whitley Bay in North Tyneside, Scarborough in Yorkshire and Newgale Beach in Wales.

SAS Beach Rescue Widemouth 2011

There were fantastic prizes handed out for guessing the weight of the litter collected and the most unusual piece of litter found, awarded in honour of SAS’s ‘weird fish’, a quirky sculpture created from pieces of beach debris. The summer saw many bizarre items removed but the most unusual finds included a toilet seat, a bright blue fire extinguisher and a Korean ship’s captain’s business card. After each of the summer’s fourteen beach clean events, award-winning Californian wine brand Barefoot Wine celebrated everyone’s efforts with a beachfront BBQ, complimentary glasses of Barefoot Wine and a free organic cotton Barefoot Wine t-shirt for every person, and at a select number of events, the party really took off with a rousing performance from Devon singer-songwriter Ben Howard.

Surfers Against Sewage Director Hugo Tagholm said “Surfers Against Sewage is delighted to have mobilised a record number of beach clean volunteers through the Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue Tour 2011. Community beach cleans are a great way of bringing together our supporters and wider public to tackle marine litter, helping protect beautiful beaches right around the UK. This year’s events removed over 2.5 tonnes of marine litter from the coast, making it a safer and nicer place for everyone to enjoy. We’re thrilled to have such a positive partnership with Barefoot Wine, who have supported our marine litter campaigns for a number of years through beach clean activities. We’d like to thank Barefoot Wine and everyone who took part in the tour, and look forward to seeing you all again next year!”

Barefoot Wine representative Alistair Feest said “We knew that 2011 would be a big year for the beach cleans, but it’s really exceeded expectations so we’d like to thank everyone who came to see Barefoot Wine and SAS and make all the events so special. Our Barefooters have always worked with local communities and that spirit was so evident at every single one of our events this summer because come rain or shine, we’ve had people from all over the UK joining us to make more of the UK’s beaches ‘barefoot friendly’.”

The concept was launched in the UK with SAS four years ago and has brought local communities together to help remove unwanted litter from beaches and reinstate Britain’s coastline to its former natural glory.

There is currently an application to dump a substantial amount of rock armoury on the foreshore. However, an independent survey predicted negligible erosion over the next 100 years. SAS have launched a petition to ensure the planning inspectorate fully understands just how important the waves at Challaborough. The public have until August the 12th to register their support by signing the petition on the SAS website.

Unfortunately, the dumping of this rock armoury could have a devastating impact on the waves at Challaborough. The first application for the rock armoury, to the local authority was rejected; however, the developers are now appealing to the planning inspectorate.

To date, over 600 surfers have signed SAS’s petition to oppose the development. This alone proves the popularity of the wave and the strength of feeling that these issues raise. However, more can be done; we have until the 12th of August 2011 to register our comments and the more signatures we have the harder it will be for the powers that be to ignore us.

SAS believe that the concerns of surfers and waveriders have been treated in an inappropriately dismissive manner. SAS believes that insufficient consideration has been given to the economic and social impacts that the potential degradation of the wave at Challaborough could have.

SAS’s main concern is that of backwash from the rock armour at high tide, causing danger to surfers and other beach users and degrading the quality of the wave which is an extremely popular local resource. We believe this is in direct conflict with the findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (conducted by John Grimes Partnership, 2011). That erroneously stated that; “the structure is over 50m from the typical surf zone…mitigating potential impacts” Also of concern is the affect the rock armour would have on the aesthetic quality of the beach, and how this will impact on tourism, particularly as the proposed development sits within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a Coastal Conservation Zone.

The Environment Agency’s Shoreline Management Plan (Halcrow, 2009) for the area does not provide sufficient evidence for the need to construct a rock armour sea defence at the base of the cliffs on the east side of the beach- “the hard rock cliffs located along the eastern and western parts of this section (Challaborough Bay) have eroded only very little over the long term, and this is expected to continue in the future, with negligible erosion predicted by 2025”.

This is your opportunity to make sure this important wave is protected! Simple visit sas.org.uk enter your name and press send and you will have sent a letter of support for the waves at Challaborough directly to the planning inspectorate. ACT NOW! Any comments must be lodged by the 12th August 2011.

SAS Campaign Director Andy Cummins says: “As a waverider it’s imperative you take action now, before this amazing wave is lost. Sign SAS’s online petition, forward to your friends, share on Facebook, tweet, blog and help Protect Our Waves”.

16 more beaches can now offer free real time text warnings when sewage spills.

Surfers Against Sewage are pleased to welcome an extra 24 new beaches across Cornwall and Devon to their revolutionary Sewage Alert Service. SAS have spent the past year working closely with South West Water (SWW), the Environment Agency (EA), local authorities and Visit Cornwall. SAS commend SWW for voluntarily providing SAS with real time information on raw sewage discharges from Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). There are now 44 beaches around England and Wales where SAS are providing free real time text message sewage alerts after raw sewage is discharged. Sites included in the Sewage Alert Service offer surfers, water sports enthusiasts and beach users the best beach experience possible.

Photocall: TUESDAY, June 21st SAS campaigners, SWW, the EA and tourist leaders will welcome the south west beaches to the Sewage Alert Service at the Shoreline Café, Eastern Esplanade, Paignton, Devon, TQ4 6AG, from 10.30am to 12pm on Tuesday 21 June 2011 next to Paignton Sands – one of the beaches on the site included in the scheme. SWW will also be launch a new website that promotes CSO discharges.

The new beaches in Cornwall and Devon are:

• Breakwater – Torbay (BF)
• Challaborough – South Hams (BF)
• Gyllyngvase – Cornwall (BF)
• Meadfoot – Torbay (BF)
• Paignton Sands – Torbay (BF)
• Preston Sands (Paignton) – Torbay (BF)
• Polzeath – Cornwall (BF)
• Porthminster – Cornwall (BF)
• Porthtowan – Cornwall (BF)
• Salcombe South Sands – South Hams (BF)
• Westward Ho! – Torridge (BF)
• Woolacombe Village – North Devon (BF)
• The Towans (Godrevy) – Cornwall
• Porthleven (West) – Cornwall
• Crantock – Cornwall
• Bude (Summerleaze) – Cornwall

(BF denotes Blue Flag)

During the April bank holidays SAS reps asked over 50 beach users at Porthtowan, Bude and Widemouth: When untreated sewage is discharged at this beach do you believe you should be told? 100% of people asked wanted to be told.

The Sewage Alert Service gives the public power to make an informed decision on how and when to use the water and helps them avoid the threat of sewage pollution. SAS’s online map will automatically update whenever there is a CSO sewage spill and SMS text messages will be sent for free to anyone who has signed up for this service. Sign up at www.sas.org.uk or by texting “SAS (beach name)” to 64446 (messages are charged at your normal network rate, then alerts are received for free whenever they occur).

Visit Cornwall’s Director, Malcolm Bell says: “We all know how the quality of our bathing waters has been transformed over the last 20 years. BeachLive and SAS’s text service are exciting new services which will give our visitors information they can use. It’s live information that will add to our world class beach management and our competitiveness as they won’t be getting this in any other European country this summer.”

South West Water’s Operations Director, Stephen Bird says: “We look forward to working with SAS on our new BeachLive service. We have invested £2 billion over 20 years on transforming bathing water quality and this should demonstrate that on a hour by hour basis as well as giving visitors information they can really use on any risks from overflows.”

Campaign Director Andy Cummins says: “It’s great that local and visiting surfers, water sports enthusiasts and beach users throughout Cornwall and Devon can choose to use beaches that inform them immediately when raw sewage is discharged. Ensure you’ve sign up for our free real time sewage text alerts and remember, no news is good news at these beaches.”

The launch of the SAS’s new education programme promoting marine conservation and activism took place on Wednesday 8th June at the National Maritime Museum, Falmouth.

Quiksilver athletes including professional Roxy sailor Sam Davies (4th place, 2009 Vendee Globe race, 1st Woman to finish, 1st British finish) and top UK professional surfer Toby Donachie joined SAS to talk about their inspirational oceanic stories, passion and motivation for protecting the marine environment.

250 local primary & secondary school students joined the SAS campaigns team to learn more about SAS’s ongoing environmental, health & wave protection campaigns. Students also got the chance to play SAS’s new interactive marine conservation board game, MARINEOPOLY, which was a huge hit on the day! This colourful 3m x 3m board game helped bring SAS’s environmental issues to life in an exciting and engaging way for all those attending and will be available to schools booking SAS educational talks in the future.

SAS and the Quiksilver Foundation hope the event helped inspire these up and coming eco-ambassadors. Over the next 2 years, SAS will work closely with the Quiksilver Foundation to reach out to an even greater number of young people with environmental, health & wave protection resources. Schools from the south-west and around the UK can book one of SAS’s interactive sessions by contacting SAS campaign officer Dom Ferris on 01872 555 950 or emailing dom@sas.org.uk

SAS worked closely with Sci-Art Solutions developing its new educational programme including the MARINEOPOLY board game.

Surfers Against Sewage would like to thank Sam Davies, Toby Donachie, the Quiksilver Foundation, Symphony Environmental and Sci-Art Solutions for their support on the day.